CENTRAL NEW YORK – It would always be difficult for the Baldwinsville boys cross country team to follow up a 2022 season that saw senior Solomon Holden-Betts earn the individual state Class A championship.
But the Bees would carry on, and open its 2023 season last Wednesday with a three-team meet against Auburn and Henninger, sweeping the Black Knights in a pair of 15-50 decisions, but falling to the Maroons.
Auburn’s boys, who are the defending Section III Class A champions, displayed its depth at the top, which overcame Noah Covert’s individual victory.
In 16 minutes, 9.2 seconds, Covert held off the Maroons’ Ryan Maher (16:12.0) for the top spot, but Chris Howard (16:27.9) and Austin Ferrin (16:28.1) were close to each other in third and fourth for Auburn.
They beat Ryan Wilson’s fifth-place time of 16:33 flat. Adam Kozman was sixth, in 16:38.7, with Paul Clark seventh (17:04.1) and Zach Arria eighth (17:04.1), but Keegan Brady (17:44.9) helped clinch it for the Maroons.
Over in the girls race, B’ville lost 21-34 to Auburn. Kamryn Barton finished third among individuals, her 19:18.1 trailing the Maroons’ Kyleen Brady (18:50.3) and Ali Pineau (19:01.9).
Auburn swept the rest of the top five before Yolanda Wei made it to sixth place in 20:56.3. Ella Defio finished in 21:17.2, with Sophie Cavalieri (22:12.3) and Erin Seitzer (22:53.8) also within the individual top 10.
B’ville would then travel Saturday to the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Invitational on the same course where Holden-Betts won his state title – and which will host the sectional and state meets again this November.
Again the boys Bees raced with Auburn, finishing third in the Varsity 3 race behind the Maroons and overall champion Ithaca as Covert got to eighth place among individuals, his time of 17:07.6
just ahead of Wilson’s ninth-place 17:08.9.
Kozman made his way to 12th place, clocking 17:19.5, two spots ahead of Clark (17:36.6) in 14th place as Wyatt Decker (18:17.3) was one spot ahead of Arria (18:22.3) in the team standings.
B’ville’s girls were sixth among 13 teams in its Varsity Race 3, with Barton 11th overall and 10th among team runners in a time of 20:25.5. Wei got 18th in the team race (20th overall) in 21:36 flat, with Defio 29th in 22:07.4 as Cavalieri took 39th place in the team race in 23;07.7 and Seitzer (23:39.1) was one spot ahead of Nia Delardi’s 23:40.1.
